Promised School-Cleaning Savings Vanish

The Board of Education signed off on a $500,000 overtime bump for a Massachusetts-based custodial contractor — wiping out savings promised when the school system ditched a local firm two years ago in hopes of cutting costs.

The school board took that 6 – 1 vote Monday evening during its latest regular meeting in person at John S. Martinez School and online via Zoom.

The board approved a 9 percent bump in pay for the Massachusetts-based custodial contractor SJ Services for its part-time custodial work, already completed, for the 2023 – 24 school year in New Haven.

Board member Andrea Downer cast the sole dissenting vote against the $500,000 retroactive increase.

A memo provided to the board about the cost increase stated that the additional half-million dollars covers the part-time custodial cost during the months of May and June. The 9 percent bump brought the total year’s cost for SJ Services from $5,478,259.25 to $5,978,259.25.

Since 2022, the custodial contract has been renewed with SJ Services for one year at a time.

Cost drivers cited in the memo include the rate of the contract and permit event hours increasing from $28.77 in 2022 – 2023 to $29.44 in 2023 – 2024. The relevant part of the memo states that ​“permit events include custodial hours logged for weekend events (Adult Ed, Cross, Career, Hillhouse) and at Bowen Field, Cross Field, and FLAC. The combined estimated custodial services total for weekend permits and other locations (Bowen, Cross, FLAC) is $435,420.27.”

The school board voted in August 2022 in favor of ditching the local Black-owned firm Eco-Urban Pioneers for the Massachusetts-based company SJ Services in large part because of its lower bid. For the 2023 – 24 school year, Eco-Urban submitted a bid for $5,989,577.43 whereas SJ Services’ bid was $5,478,259.29. However, with the now-approved end of year amendment, the cost for SJ Services is now just $11,000 less than what Eco-Urban had proposed.

At the time of the board’s 2022 vote in favor of SJ Services over Eco-Urban, the local company’s owner, Shafiq Abdussabur, reminded the board that his company had a seven-year contracting partnership with the district, which allowed for the company to employ hundreds of underserved New Haven residents, including many formerly incarcerated people. Over its years servicing the district Eco-Urban hired more staff at the districts request and agreed to a half million contract reduction. Abdussabur also resigned from his then-position as Beaver Hills alder to (unsuccessfully) bid for a renewal to Eco-Urban’s school district contract.

At recent school board meetings, Board of Education members raised concerns about the district’s lack of assigning in-house custodial employees or local contractors to do the work hired out to SJ Services.

In addition to approving the cost bump for SJ Services Monday, the board approved a one-year renewal with SJ Services for to provide part-time custodial services from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 for a total of $5,556,973.52.

Board member Downer asked why the district did not re-bid for the custodial contract before the start of the new fiscal year, which began July 1.

“Has the work been physically verified?” Downer asked while arguing that school buildings this year and in the past have remained ​“filthy” even after they’re said to be cleaned.

“So that means that they can continue what they’ve been doing, which is leaving our schools in a filthy condition, and ask for more money,” she concluded.

Board Secretary Edward Joyner agreed that verification of quality work should be discussed further by the district. He added that if part-time janitorial work wasn’t assigned to the vendor for weekend cleanings and instead to the district’s employees of the local 287 union, there could be a savings ​“because it certainly was less expensive for the snow removal,” he said.

New Haven Public Schools Supt. Madeline Negrón clarified that due to the district’s current contract with another vendor, ABM, all weekend overtime work at Hillhouse, Career, and Cross is to be overseen by ABM. ​“So union rules do not allow 287 to work there. That’s just currently the way that it’s crafted in the agreements,” she said.

“If we’re not exhausting our workforce, what are we saying to the people that we employ? You have $6 million here, and I know for sure if we use our people that we would see a significant savings. We never want to demoralize the people that actually have the passion that’s here,” Downer said.

Negrón said she agrees that the district must better maximize its resources in regard to the custodial contract. School board Vice President Matt Wilcox said he’s been told the district’s plan is to put the custodial contract out to bid during the 2024 – 25 school year to make plans for the following school year.

Joyner said he voted in favor of the contract renewal because not approving it would cause further chaos. Downer was the only ​“no” vote. She stated, ​“I’m not in support of SJ Services. I’ve seen their work and I’m not happy. Our students do not deserve this as a teaching environment.”

The board also approved Monday in a 6 – 1 vote, with Downer voting no, to renew its contract with ABM, which provides facilities management and custodial and energy management services at the cost of $1,920,977 for one more year.

Downer argued the ABM contract also should have gone out to bid earlier this year.

“Someone knew this contract was going to end. Why are we having this conversation now? Our guys are at the bottom,” she concluded.